Trading glossary

C-Suite C-Suite Definition: The C-suite refers to the group of senior executives at the top of a company's management hierarchy whose titles begin with "Chief" — most commonly the Chief Executive Offic... CAC 40 CAC 40 Definition: The CAC 40 (Cotation Assistée en Continu) is France's flagship stock market index, tracking 40 large-cap companies listed on Euronext Paris by free-float adjusted market capitali... CAGR CAGR Definition: CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, is the rate at which an investment would have grown each year, at a constant rate, to reach its ending value from its starting value over a de... Call Option Call Option Definition: A Call Option is a financial contract giving the buyer the right (but not the obligation) to purchase an underlying asset at a predetermined strike price before or on the ex... Candlestick Chart Candlestick Chart Definition: A candlestick chart is a price chart that displays four data points per time interval — open, high, low, and close — using rectangular "bodies" with thin "wicks" to sh... Capital Gains Capital Gains Definition: A capital gain is the profit made when you sell an asset such as a stock, bond, cryptocurrency or property for more than its cost basis, the price you paid plus buying cos... Capital Markets Capital Markets Definition: Capital markets are the markets where companies and governments raise long-term money, usually for more than one year, by selling shares and bonds to investors. They hav... Capitulation Capitulation Definition: Capitulation is the point in a market decline at which the last remaining holders abandon their positions and sell — not for fundamental reasons, but out of exhaustion, fea... Cardano (ADA) Cardano Definition: Cardano is a blockchain platform launched in 2017 by Charles Hoskinson (co-founder of Ethereum) with an emphasis on academic rigor, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Cardan... Carry Trade Carry Trade Definition: A carry trade is a strategy in which you borrow or sell a currency with a low interest rate and use the proceeds to buy a currency with a higher one, earning the difference ... Carrying Cost Carrying Cost Definition: Carrying cost is the total expense of holding a financial position or physical asset over time, including financing costs, storage, insurance, and opportunity cost. In der... Cash Deposit Cash Deposit Definition: A cash deposit is the transfer of funds into a financial account — whether a bank account, brokerage account, or trading platform — making those funds available for withdra... Cash Flow Cash Flow Definition: Cash flow is the net amount of money moving into and out of a business over a period, counted when cash actually changes hands rather than when a sale or expense is recorded. ... Cash Inflow Cash Inflow Definition: Cash inflow is any movement of money into a business, investment, or account — revenue from sales, proceeds from asset sales, borrowed funds, investor capital, or returns fr... Cash Outflow Cash Outflow Definition: Cash outflow is any movement of money out of a business, investment account, or portfolio — operating expenses, debt repayments, capital expenditures, dividends, withdrawal... CBDC CBDC Definition: A CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) is a digital form of a country's official currency issued and backed by its central bank, combining digital convenience with sovereign moneta... Central Bank Central Bank Definition: A central bank is the public institution that manages a country's or currency union's money supply, issues its banknotes and sets the benchmark interest rate that other bor... Centralized Exchange (CEX) Centralized Exchange (CEX) Definition: A Centralized Exchange (CEX) is a cryptocurrency trading platform operated by a centralized company that holds custody of user funds, maintains internal order... CFD (Contract for Difference) CFD (Contract for Difference) Definition: A Contract for Difference is a derivative contract between a trader and a broker that pays the difference between the opening and closing price of an under... CFTC CFTC Definition: The CFTC, or Commodity Futures Trading Commission, is the independent US federal agency that regulates derivatives markets, including futures, options on futures and swaps. It regi... Chaikin Money Flow Chaikin Money Flow Definition: The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) is a volume-weighted technical indicator developed by Marc Chaikin in the 1980s that measures the amount of Money Flow Volume over a spec... Chainlink (LINK) Chainlink Definition: Chainlink is a blockchain oracle network enabling smart contracts to securely access off-chain data (real-world information like prices, weather, election results) and pay for... Checkable Deposits Checkable Deposits Definition: Checkable deposits are bank account balances that can be withdrawn or transferred on demand — at any time, without advance notice — typically through checks, debit ca... Circulating Supply Circulating Supply Definition: Circulating supply is the number of cryptocurrency coins or tokens that are publicly available and actively trading in the market — coins that have been issued and ar... Coin Coin Definition: In cryptocurrency, a coin is a digital asset that operates as the native currency of its own independent blockchain — used to pay transaction fees, reward validators or miners, and... Cold Storage Cold Storage Definition: Cold Storage is the practice of keeping cryptocurrency private keys completely offline, isolated from internet-connected devices that could be compromised by malware, hacki... Collateral (Crypto) Collateral (Crypto) Definition: Crypto collateral is an asset you lock up to secure a loan, a minted stablecoin, or a leveraged trading position. If the collateral's value falls below a set thresho... Commodity Commodity Definition: A commodity is a basic raw material or agricultural product, such as crude oil, gold, copper or wheat, that is traded in standard grades so that one unit is interchangeable wi... Commodity Channel Index (CCI) Commodity Channel Index (CCI) Definition: The Commodity Channel Index is a momentum oscillator developed by Donald Lambert and introduced in Commodities magazine in 1980, measuring the deviation of... Commodity Futures Commodity Futures Definition: Commodity futures are standardised exchange-traded contracts that oblige the buyer to purchase, and the seller to deliver, a fixed quantity of a raw material such as c... Commodity Index Commodity Index Definition: A commodity index is a benchmark that tracks the value of a basket of commodity futures, such as crude oil, natural gas, gold, copper, wheat and cattle, according to fix... Commodity-Backed Money Commodity-Backed Money Definition: Commodity-backed money is a currency whose value is tied to a physical commodity — most historically gold or silver — with the issuing authority guaranteeing conv... Compliance Compliance Definition: Compliance is the system of policies, controls and staff that a financial firm uses to follow the laws and regulations that apply to it, such as customer identity checks, ant... Composability Composability Definition: Composability is the ability of blockchain applications and smart contracts to connect with and build on one another without asking permission, so one protocol can use ano... Compound Interest Compound Interest Definition: Compound interest is interest calculated on both the original sum and on all the interest that has already been added to it. Because each period's interest becomes par... Confirmation Time Confirmation Time Definition: Confirmation time is the period between broadcasting a cryptocurrency transaction and the moment it is included in a block and buried under enough later blocks for the... Confluence (TA) Confluence (TA) Definition: Confluence in technical analysis refers to the alignment of multiple independent technical signals or analytical methods at the same price level or market condition, pro... Consensus Mechanism Consensus Mechanism Definition: A Consensus Mechanism is the protocol that enables distributed network participants to agree on a single version of the truth — specifically, which transactions are ... Consortium Blockchain Consortium Blockchain Definition: A consortium blockchain is a permissioned distributed ledger operated by a fixed group of pre-approved organisations, each running nodes and sharing control over w... Consumer Price Index (CPI) Consumer Price Index (CPI) Definition: The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the average change over time in the prices that households pay for a fixed basket of goods and services, such as food... Contango Contango Definition: Contango is a market condition in futures markets where the futures price of an asset is higher than the spot price, with prices for later expiration months progressively highe... Convenience Yield Convenience Yield Definition: Convenience yield is the implicit benefit of physically holding a commodity rather than holding a futures contract for future delivery of that commodity. When supply i... Copper Copper Definition: Copper is a reddish industrial metal that conducts electricity almost as well as silver at a fraction of the cost, which makes it the standard material for wiring, power grids, m... Copy Trading Copy Trading Definition: Copy trading is a form of automated investing in which your account reproduces every trade that a chosen trader opens, adjusts and closes, in proportion to the capital you ... Correction Correction Definition: A Correction is a decline in an asset's price of 10% to 20% from a recent peak, representing a temporary reversal within a longer-term uptrend rather than the beginning of a ... Correlation Correlation Definition: Correlation is a statistical measure ranging from -1.0 to +1.0 that quantifies the degree to which two assets move together, with +1.0 indicating perfect positive correlatio... Cosmos (ATOM) Cosmos Definition: Cosmos is a network of independent blockchains ("zones") that communicate through a central hub called the Cosmos Hub, using the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. Un... Counterparty Risk Counterparty Risk Definition: Counterparty risk is the risk that the other party to a financial contract fails to deliver the money or assets it owes before the contract is settled. It applies to a... Covered Call Covered Call Definition: A Covered Call is an options strategy where an investor owns 100 shares of stock and simultaneously sells (writes) a call option against those shares — generating premium i... Credit Default Swap (CDS) Credit Default Swap (CDS) Definition: A credit default swap is a derivative contract in which the buyer pays the seller a regular premium, and the seller agrees to cover the loss if a named borrowe... Credit Rating Credit Rating Definition: A credit rating is an independent agency's assessment of how likely a borrower, such as a company or government, is to repay its debt in full and on time. Ratings run on a... Credit Rating Definition Credit Rating Definition: A credit rating is an assessment of the likelihood that a borrower will default on their debt obligations. Rating agencies (Moody's, Standard & Poor's, Fitch) assign lette... Credit Risk Credit Risk Definition: Credit risk is the risk that a borrower, bond issuer or other debtor fails to make interest or principal payments in full and on time. Lenders measure it by combining three ... Cross Margin Cross Margin Definition: Cross margin is a margin mode where the entire account balance acts as collateral for all open positions, sharing the available equity across trades to prevent liquidation.... Cross-Chain Bridge Cross-Chain Bridge Definition: A Cross-Chain Bridge is a protocol that enables the transfer of cryptocurrency tokens or data between different blockchain networks, allowing assets locked on one cha... Crude Oil (WTI) Crude Oil (WTI) Definition: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a light, low-sulfur grade of US crude oil that serves as the main price benchmark for oil in North America. Its price is set by NYMEX fu... Crypto Asset Crypto Asset Definition: A crypto asset is a digital representation of value or rights that can be transferred and stored electronically using cryptography and a distributed ledger such as a blockc... Crypto ETF Crypto ETF Definition: A Crypto ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) is a regulated investment vehicle that provides exposure to cryptocurrency through traditional stock exchanges, allowing investors to gain... Crypto Fear and Greed Index Crypto Fear and Greed Index Definition: The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is a market sentiment indicator that measures investor emotions in cryptocurrency markets on a daily 0-100 scale, where 0 rep... Crypto Mining Crypto Mining Definition: Crypto mining is the process by which new transactions are verified and added to a proof-of-work blockchain, with miners competing to solve a computationally intensive mat... Crypto Option Crypto Option Definition: A crypto option is a financial derivative that gives the buyer the right — but not the obligation — to buy or sell a cryptocurrency at a specified price (the strike price)... Crypto Regulation Crypto Regulation Definition: Crypto regulation is the body of laws, licences and rules that governs how crypto assets are issued, traded, held and taxed within a country or economic bloc. It decid... Crypto Total Market Cap Index Crypto Total Market Cap Index Definition: The Crypto Total Market Cap Index, commonly referenced as TOTAL on TradingView, is a real-time measure of the aggregate market capitalization of all crypto... Crypto Winter Crypto Winter Definition: Crypto winter is an extended bear market in cryptocurrency, typically lasting 12–24 months with major assets declining 70–90% from cycle highs. The term entered crypto voc... Cryptocurrency Cryptocurrency Definition: A cryptocurrency is a digital asset that uses cryptography to secure transactions, control the creation of new units, and verify transfers — operating on a decentralised ... Cryptocurrency Wallet Cryptocurrency Wallet Definition: A cryptocurrency wallet is a software program or physical device that stores the private keys controlling your crypto and uses them to sign transactions. The coins... Cryptographic Hash Function Cryptographic Hash Function Definition: A cryptographic hash function is a mathematical algorithm that converts input data of any size into a fixed-length string, called a hash or digest, in a way ... Cryptography Cryptography Definition: Cryptography is the mathematical science of securing information against unauthorised access or alteration, using algorithms that transform data into forms that are computa... Cum Dividend Cum Dividend Definition: Cum dividend (Latin for "with dividend") describes the status of a stock that is trading with the right to receive an upcoming dividend payment — meaning a buyer who purcha... Cup and Handle Pattern Cup and Handle Pattern Definition: The Cup and Handle is a bullish continuation chart pattern consisting of a rounded "cup" formation (U-shaped consolidation following an uptrend) followed by a sma... Currency Currency Definition: Currency is a medium of exchange that is widely accepted in transactions for goods, services, and debt repayment within a given economy or across economies. It serves three cla... Currency Correlation Currency Correlation Definition: Currency correlation is a statistical measure of how closely two currency pairs move together, expressed as a coefficient from -1 to +1. A reading of +1 means the p... Currency Debasement Currency Debasement Definition: Currency debasement is the reduction in the value of a currency caused by its issuer, either by lowering the precious-metal content of coins or, in modern fiat syste... Currency Hedging Currency Hedging Definition: Currency hedging is the practice of opening an offsetting position so that a change in an exchange rate does not change the home-currency value of a foreign asset, paym... Currency Intervention Currency Intervention Definition: Currency intervention is the deliberate buying or selling of currencies by a government or central bank to push its exchange rate in a chosen direction. To strengt... Currency Pair Currency Pair Definition: A currency pair is a quotation that shows how much of one currency is needed to buy one unit of another, written as two three-letter codes such as EUR/USD. The first curre... Currency War Currency War Definition: A currency war is a period in which several countries deliberately weaken their own currencies to make exports cheaper and imports more expensive, with each devaluation pro... Curve DAO Token (CRV) Curve DAO Token Definition: Curve is a decentralized exchange optimized for stablecoin and similar-asset swaps (USDC ↔ USDT, sUSD ↔ DAI) where traditional AMM liquidity pools are inefficient. Curve... Custodial vs Non-Custodial Custodial vs Non-Custodial Definition: Custodial vs non-custodial describes who controls the private keys to a crypto balance: in a custodial setup a third party such as an exchange holds the keys,... Custody Custody Definition: Custody in cryptocurrency refers to the safekeeping of digital assets through private key management — determining who has the technical ability to authorize transactions. Crypt... Cypherpunk Cypherpunk Definition: A cypherpunk is an activist or programmer who promotes strong cryptography and privacy-enhancing software as a way to protect individual freedom from governments and large in...